Jamie Lovemark has never won on the PGA Tour, finishing second twice, but he achieved a first midway through the Honda Classic.
The 30-year-old Lovemark (pictured), from Rancho Santa Fe and USC, shot 1-under-par 69 in windy conditions to tie Luke List for the 36-hole lead in the first event of the Florida Swing on the Champion Course at PGA National Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
“It’s crazy,” said Lovemark, whose only pro victories came in the 2010 Mexico Bicentenary and the 2013 Midwest Classic on what is now the Web.com Tour. “ I would probably take anything under 71 most days. It’s really hard with the wind. I thought starting the week it might be 7-under might win but it might be less than that
“Won’t take many more under to win this tournament. I would definitely sign up for a 6-under right now and take my chances. It’s just a tough course. It’s a stacked leaderboard. One swing out here can cost you three shots.”
Lovemark sank a seven-foot par putt on the ninth hole, his last of the day, and is atop the leaderboard after 36 holes for the first time in his PGA Tour career.
List, who also is winless on the circuit, posted a 66 in the morning wave before the wind really picked up, and is tied with Lovemark at 3-under 137.
“I was able to make some birdies on the front nine, but then the wind starting whipping when we made the turn,” said List, who won the 2012 South Georgia Classic in the PGA Tour’s developmental circuit. “I was able to control my iron shots into the green and kept it together on the back nine.
“If you hit fairways and greens, I know it’s the old boring adage, but if you can do that, you can score out here. You just have to pick your spots. I did make some mistakes coming in, but I was able to limit them.”
Webb Simpson, the 2012 U.S. Open champion who held a share of the first-round lead, carded a 72 and is one stroke behind in a tie for third with Russell Henley, who had a 70, Rory Sabbatini of South Africa, who totaled 69, and Tommy Fleetwood of England, who came in at 68.
Fourth-ranked Justin Thomas finished at 72 and is another shot back in a tie for seventh with Thomas Pieters of Belgium, who had a 70, and Daniel Berger and Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa, who both wound up at 72.
Tiger Woods, in the third event of his comeback, shot 71 and is tied for 14th, while 10th- ranked Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland is tied for 49th after and 72, and seventh-ranked Rickie Fowler, the defending champion, posted a 76 and missed the cut by two strokes.
For complete results, https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html.
